Caesarea Aqueduct

Located slightly north of Caesarea is Moshav Beth Hanania, a small sleepy agricultural village. Just before the electronic gate to enter the Moshav are amazing monumental remnants of ancient Roman/Byzantine aqueducts. These aqueducts known as the "High Aqueduct" brought fresh spring water to Caesarea, from as far as 20km. One can see here the evenly spaced, high arches, and it's precisely chiseled masonry work. On top of the supporting arches were U shaped channels that served to move the fresh water like a flowing natural stream onto the city of Caesarea.

The first of these aqueducts was probably constructed by the future Emperors Vespasian and his son Titus in and around 70 CE. This is when 3 legions of the Roman army, with all their equipment, had descended on the Land of Israel. They came to put down the "The Great Revolt" of the Jews and would destroy the Jewish Holy Temple in Jerusalem. With the capital of the Roman Provence in Caesarea and its port very busy accommodating all the activity, there would likely have been a need for more water in the city. Fresh water shallow wells inside King Herod's city of Caesarea would not have been nearly enough to sustain a growing thirsty population. The same story would repeat itself in 135 CE when Emperor Hadrian was in the Land of Israel to put down the third Jewish Revolt with half the Roman Army. You can hear him shouting, "Get me more water". These two high aqueducts were built side by side and brought, with a miniscule downward slope, gravitationally water from the nearby Shuni springs. The Romans had very primitive tools and geodesic measuring devices, making constructing such a fine tuned mega project a simply amazing feat. Roman monumental engineering projects were a way of showing Roman power and aqueducts were triumphs of Roman engineering over nature.

Remarkably here on the Kurkar (local sandstone rock) walls, covered with travertine, between the aqueduct arches can be found two ancient limestone engravings. One of the engravings set in a tabula ansata (important engravings were highlighted in a rectangle with dovetail handles) dates the building of the aqueduct definitively, to the time of Hadrian. The engraving basically reads that Roman Emperor Hadrian had this aqueduct built by the Roman X legion. By the way the same Hadrian built the still standing unbelievable Pantheon in Rome.

The second engraving found next to the tabula ansata are three engravings one on top of the other. They are shouting Victory, Victory, Victory:

1) The upper engraving is of an eagle inside an aedicule (home). This would have been the symbol carried on top of a legions pole into battle. Protecting and defending this flag pole was essential for victory in battle and protecting the homeland. The eagle in Roman mythology was thought to hold the weaponized thunderbolts of the supreme pagan god Jupiter, which brought victory.

2) The middle engraving had similar writing to that found in the tabula ansata praising Emperor Hadrian and thanking the X Legion for their work. Surrounding the writing was a laurel wreath. The exciting mythology behind the wreath, is the story of the god Apollo chasing the beautiful water nymph Daphne. Before Apollo can catch Daphne by the river, she turns into a Laurel tree. Apollo would then wear a wreath made from Laurel. Apollo was a pagan god that brought victory and the laurel wreath became associated with Apollo who embodied victory. This victorious laurel wreath is still presented and worn by victors in sporting contests.

3) The bottom engraving is thought to be of a Nike god. The Nike with its winged feet was known to fly over the battlefield and present laurel wreaths to commanders that brought battlefield victories. Today of course this same Nike has been adopted by the very successful Nike running shoe company. The ancient V slash symbol of Nike shoes has become the branded symbol that resonates in the marketplace with victory.

Looking at these aqueduct remnants lets the visitor return to a time and imagine how Rome was thought to have conquered nature. Rome was the all-powerful empire that no one wanted to mess with.